Chapter 5

Crux's Pov

"Alpha, please..." The man's screams filled the room.

I just tilted my head, eyes fixed on the pathetic man who lay on the floor whimpering and bloodied. I still stood in the shadows when I motioned to my beta, Reyes to move on with the torture.

Reyes stepped forward without hesitation and drove his boot into the man’s ribs.

"Alpha--"

Reyes wore a smirk on his face as he continued stepping on the man, this time in short spaces. 

I could have done this myself, but dealing with low-level street thieves was beneath me. I was here because the thrill and excitement of smelling the fresh scent of blood was better than any drug.

"Don't stop," I ordered Reyes.

The loud sound of bones breaking and screams filled the room along with Reyes laughter. I could smell the fear from the man and that made my wolf growl.

I raised my hand. "Reyes!" I called out.

Without hesitation, he stopped and stood. "He needs to die, Alpha."

I finally stepped out of the shadows in short steps as the light hit my face to reveal the mask I had on.

As I got close, I felt something grip my ankle. It was the bloodied man on the floor. 

I growled, kicking him off of me. "How dare you?" I kicked him harder. "Those were Italian." 

The man strained, "Alpha, please." He coughed, choking on blood. "It was a mistake..."

I scoffed, bending my knees as the smell of blood hit me hard. I used one finger to scoop blood from his face, bringing it to my nose.

"Aahhhhh, let me have him Crux," my wolf growled. "I need to have him."

"Patience," I calmed him.

I could feel my blood stirring as the heat rose in my body, but all that was needed were the answers he had.

"Who sent you?" Reyes ordered, his voice tearing through the room but the bloodied man’s eyes did not leave the ground.

I watched his lips tremble as blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. He shook his head. "I... I can't---"

"I see you haven't learnt your lesson," Reyes spat out.

His eyes darted from me to Reyes then back to me. "I can't say," he cried. "I took an oath."

Oath? I scoffed, slowly standing up. I weaved my hand through my hair as I let out a sigh.

"You swore allegiance to the Alpha,"  Reyes said slowly. "And yet... You talk about an oath?” 

My jaw tightened. For a moment, I just kept my gaze on him watched him shake as the fear ate through the loyalty he thought he had.

I reached for my tie, loosening it. When it finally came free, Reyes took it from me.

"You know..." I sniffed, my voice was calm. "I was really hoping that it wouldn't come to this."

I folded my sleeves. "Just know... You made me do this,"

"Alpha---" Reyes called.

I didn't bother to answer him and he knew the answer as I heard the door locks click.

The man seeing this, tried to crawl back, dragging himself across the floor, leaving a smear behind him. 

I smiled as there was no safe place he could run to except through me which made all of this struggling-- pathetic.

I walked to him, and on one hand I raised him up as the blood hit me harder than before. "Look at me," I ordered.

He tried to raise his head but bowed anyway and this pissed me off. 

"Look at me!" I yelled, my voice barely human. 

I felt his body jerk under my hand as he raised his head to look at me, slowly. Our eyes met and just like that... Whatever strength he thought he had was shattered.

I tilted my head watching the fear bloom into something bigger. This was the part I enjoyed the most. Not the blood but the fear eating them alive when they realised there was no escape.

"Let me have him," Aethros growled.

My grip tightened around his throat, cutting off what little air he had left.

“You swore an oath to me,” I said quietly, my voice was colder. “Yet here you are… breaking the only one that mattered.”

He shook his head weakly, his hands clawing at my wrist. “Pl—please… I… I can’t…”

"Let me end his misery," My wolf gnawed at my chest.

I let him fall down. My hands moved to my face, removing the mask as his eyes widened. But before I could do anything... The door flew open.

"Alpha," Reyes ran in.

I groaned so loud that it was almost a howl. "What?"

I saw the colour drain from Reyes' eyes as he quickly knelt down, his head lowered. "I didn't mean to disturb but the doctor is here."

I took short and deep breaths, trying to steady myself. My hands ran through my hair as I began pacing. Then as if in cue, I stopped and put my mask back on.

I walked to the door, Reyes behind me when I stopped just outside the door frame.

"He's seen my face," I muttered to Reyes. "Take care of him."

I walked away from the slaughter house, hands in my pockets when I met the doctor in the garden. 

"Raymond," I called.

"Alpha," he bowed. "I know this wasn't planned but I couldn't wait."

"Raymond," I smiled. "You are welcome here any time." I motioned for him to sit. "What's the matter?"

Raymond took a sniff. I saw his eyes widened when they met my gaze. "Did you---"

"I almost did," I cut him off. 

"You know what happens when you do this, right?" He questioned.

I sucked in my teeth. "I don't need a lecture, Raymond." I sat down opposite him. "Why are you here, doctor?"

He swallowed hard, I could hear his pulse raising. "Alpha... There is a new development." My face remained unchanged as this wasn't the first time he had brought this new development. Hell, I had lost count.

"This is different," he assured.

"How so?" 

"There is a woman... Who is pregnant---"

"Do I need to know every pregnant woman in my pack?" I questioned.

"No, this is different. She is pregnant with your pup."

I felt Aethros press on my chest, heavy.

My chest tighten and my hands stilled in my lap, but my mind raced. Impossible… This shouldn’t be possible. The words hung in the air, my eyes widened then I burst into a bout of laughter.

"How?" I asked, my body still jerking from the laughter.

"Your sperm---"

"I told you to throw those away, Raymond." My eyes darkened. I saw his hand gripped his bag tighter. "Why did you still have my sperm?"

He swallowed, voice breaking. "We… did tell all centres to destroy them, but on the day one of the centres…" He wiped his face with the back of his hand. "They… mistakenly used your sperm."

"My sperm?" I chuckled, leaning closer on the table. "You said I was impotent!" I yelled, jolting up from my chair.

"We thought you were after all the tests," he stated. "But this one took and she is literally doing really well."

"He seems genuine," Aethros mentioned. "We need to see her, Crux."

I weaved my hands through my hair, then sighed. "If this is true---"

"It is most certainly true, Alpha." He went through his bag and brought out a folder, placing it on the table. "This is everything on her."

I studied him, the tension in his posture, the slight tremor in his hand. He knew better than to lie to me.

I finally let out a sigh of either relief or hope because those were luxuries I could not afford even after being the alpha.

"I need to see her," I announced, turning to Reyes. "Find her and bring her to me."